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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. content — happy
  7. present — the time now
  8. bore — to drill
  9. present — a gift
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wake — a trail
  13. content — the amount
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. file — a line of people
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. file — a document
  19. suit — in cards
  20. present — there
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com